Government encourages use of alternative fuels
The government promoted the use of alternative fuels with subsidies to lower their prices as it attempted to make Thailand more energy independent.
More motorists were turning to alternative fuels, such as gasohol and natural gas, as petrol and diesel prices continued to skyrocket. In addition to saving consumers’ money, the government said the alternatives were cleaner and safer. Gasohol, a mixture of 90% petrol and 10% ethanol, could be used in most cars. Vehicles needed to be modified to run on natural gas. Ethanol could be made from cassava and sugarcane molasses, crops Thailand had in abundance, whereas 90% of the nation’s crude oil was imported.